and plump breast, and feathered very much 
alike. The cocks have black, grizzled 
breasts, and black under tail feathers, long 
outer coverings, variegated black predomin¬ 
ating, in the light hackle, in the wing-bar, 
and flowing extremities of the saddle down 
upon the sides near the thigh. In some the 
white silvery color is in excess. The hens 
have mixed breasts, hackle silvery white 
mingled with black, light gray backs, and 
wings, black full tail, tinged with white and 
silvery gray. Some, now and then, have 
brown tinged or salmon colored breasts, but 
these 1 have heretofore rejected for the bright 
black and white mixture resembling the 
silver spangled Hamburg. My fowls have 
been sought in the past for their size, for 
their laying, and poultry properties, and for 
their hardy and home character. I have 
seen no reason for changing my flock, or for 
introducing new blood to improve its 
qualities. w. c. n. 
Newton, Upper Falls, Mass. 
some specimens are shaded more less with 
red or light wine cast. Cocks at maturity 
are beautiful, and in hackle and sickle feath¬ 
erings would he observed as peculiar to this 
variety. There arc but few fanciers who 
have shown birds of this variety, to our 
knowledge, in this country; they claim for 
them, however, great excellences, as pro¬ 
ducers of eggs and table qualities. 
Dominique Game* 
take their name from fowls which arc com¬ 
mon on the Island of Dominica, and in feath¬ 
ering, especially on cocks, are really very 
beautiful. They are long and rangy, in body 
well set up or stationed, high, fine beads, 
and invariably possess thin single combs, 
free from tassel or head-feathers, while nock 
off when sweet from the vat; then bring it 
to the boiling point and turn it upon the oil 
meal. Let the mixture stand till night, and 
then feed. In the morning, whey sweet from 
the vat may be fed. 
At the commencement, a pint of oil meal 
per day will be sufficient for four calves. 
This may be gradually increased until each 
calf lias a daily ration of half a pint. At 
first it is better not to feed calves all the 
whey they will drink at a time. A large 
feed of whey cloys the appetite and deranges 
health. A half pail of whey at first is 
enough for a feed, which may be increased 
to three-fourths of a pail, and a pail as the 
calf increases in age. Two meals a day, if 
the calf runs in good pasture, is sufficient. 
he was acquainted for table use. The tur¬ 
nips brought him from eighty cents to pne 
dollar per bushel in the markets. 
Mr. Shull of Ilion thought mangolds 
could be grown at half the labor of carrots. 
A suitable soil was e sential to both man¬ 
golds and turnips. It should be loose and 
mellow, and upon such soil they arc easily 
raised. Turnips could not be grown suc¬ 
cessfully on a damp clay soil. He planted 
in drills three feel apart, thinning out to eight 
or ten inches in the rows. A cultivator or 
horse hoe could then he used, leaving little 
to be done with the hand hoe. He had 
raised turnips weighing ten pounds. He 
estimated the cost of the crop, charging 
interest on value of land, the manure, labor 
of cultivating, harvesting, &c., at twenty 
cents per bushel. For feeding he found them 
worth twenty five cents per bushel. 
Mr. Shull said the average yield of 
Swedes in England was at the rate of twenty- 
eight to thirty-three tons per acre. In Scot¬ 
land the average yield was stated to be from 
fourteen and a half to eighteen tons per acre, 
and in Ireland about thirteen and a half tons. 
The Scotch cultivate in ridges twenty-seven 
inches apart, the plants ten to fifteen inches 
in the rows. He stated that Mr. Buodle, of 
Jefferson Co., N. Y,, had raised turnips at 
the rate of 1,500 bushels per acre, and at a 
cost of two cents seven nulls per bushel. Mr. 
Gibson of York Mills, N. Y. f estimated the 
cost of raising at seven cents per bushel, the 
use of land not charged in t he account. 
As to the feeding value of roots compared 
with good hay, Mr. S. gave the estimate of 
R. 8. Fay of Mass., that three hundred and 
fifty-niuc pounds mangolds, or five hundred 
and fourteen pounds of common turnips, or 
two hundred and seventy-six of carrots, or 
three hundred and eight pounds of' Swedes 
were equal in value for feeding to one hun¬ 
dred pounds of hay. Mr. Siiull, referee! to 
a statement made by Mr. Leavit of New 
Hampshire that Swedes were better adopted 
to sheep and cattle than mangolds. lie sows 
the seed in drills two feet apart and thins the 
plants to one foot apart in the rows, using 
wood ashes on the young planks to keep off 
the fly. 
Mr. Wlllard referred to the statement 
made by Hon. Henry Lane of Vermont, at 
the recent meeting of the Vermont Dairy¬ 
men’s Association, in regard to the Ameri¬ 
can improved imperial beet. This variety 
has been found to be very productive, and 
more nutritious than other varieties of roots 
grown in Addison county. It is especially 
adapted to milch cows and to ewes with 
lambs, as it. produces an abundant flow of 
millc. The soil best suited for this variety of 
beet is a clay or clay loam, the yield in Ad¬ 
dison county being at the rate of twenty- 
eight, to thirty tons per acre. Mr. Lane es¬ 
timates the- cost of raising at. eight cents per 
bushel. In the Ritual of February 19th we 
gave an account of the manner in which Mr. 
Lane cultivates this crop, and need not re¬ 
peat it here. 
Several other members of the Club gave it 
as their experience that roots could be grown 
at a profit, and that this character of food 
was of great importance in promoting the 
health of stock, and in securing good returns. 
These statements from practical farmers 
show that the root crop can be grown much 
cheaper than many here supposed, and 
dairymen will do well to give the subject 
attention. 
usbanbrn 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M., EDITOR, 
Ok Littlk Fall*, Hkukimkb County, New York. 
GROWING ROOTS 
Ami jPeediutr to Dairy Wtock. 
The good results from feeding roots to 
stock are universally admitted by those who 
have had any experience in using this class 
of food. For the dairy farmer, roots are of 
especial service in supplying to cows a 
succulent food during the long season when 
dry fodder must be their main source of 
sustenance. As a matter of health, or for 
giving tone to the system of animate, the 
feeding of roots in winter would prove ad¬ 
vantageous even though nothing was saved 
in the quantity of dry food supplied. A 
moderate quantity of roots given from day 
to day, or even at longer intervals, counter¬ 
acts many of t he evils resulting from a too 
close confinement upon the single article of 
food—hay—which many dairymen too often 
make the sole diet for their stock in winter. 
Then in spring, ns a milk-producing food, 
roots are extremely valuable. They satisfy 
to a great extent that longing or craving 
apetite of animals for grass, in early spring 
and at a time when it can not be supplied, 
and therefore they serve to check that rest¬ 
lessness in the herds which militates against 
thrift and milk production. 
These are some of the considerations that 
have induced certain dairy farmers to con¬ 
tinue steadily on in their root growing, not¬ 
withstanding it. may have been thought, at 
times, that under the high price of labor, 
other kinds of cattle food of equal nutritive 
value to the roots could have been grown 
comparatively cheaper. On the other hand 
a large proportion of dairymen in New York 
and elsewhere, abandon root-raising or ne¬ 
glect to grow the crop for stock feeding, un¬ 
der the impression that with the present 
price of labor the crop is too expensive. 
They freely admit all the advantages to be 
derived from feeding this class of food, but 
say they cannot afford to grow it.. We be¬ 
lieve this to be, in many instances, an error 
and to result in part from not selecting the. 
kind of roots best adapted to the soil, or from 
want, of thorough preparation of the soil, and 
from doing the work of cultivation by hand 
which should be done by horse power and 
machinery. Without entering upon the dis¬ 
cussion of these points for the present, we 
desire to set forth some facts presented at a 
recent meeting of the Farmers’ Club of Little 
Falls, when the subject of root culture was 
under consideration. Wc give extracts from 
our notes taken on that occasion. 
Mr. Whitman, in referring to the preva¬ 
lent idea among farmers that roots could not 
be profitably grown at, the present prices for 
labor, said that if the cultivation was done 
at odd intervals, the cost of raising roots 
could be made far less than is generally sup¬ 
posed. He thought the profit of root grow¬ 
ing would depend upon the selection and 
preparation of the land, the fertilizers used, 
and manner of their application, choice of 
seed, cultivation, harvesting and care of the 
crop and the manner of feeding. Mangolds 
were much easier raised than carrots. He 
found them also a surer crop than turnips. 
Had raised carrots at the rale of eight, hun¬ 
dred and up to a thousand bushels per acre. 
In bis experience with carrots, mangolds and 
turnips, as a feed for milch cows, the car¬ 
rots yielded a less quantity of milk. He 
had, therefore, discontinued the feeding of 
carrots to cows, and used them specially for 
his horses. For this purpose he regarded 
them a profitable crop and nearly as valuable 
as oats when fed in connection with hay and 
grain. They give tone to the system, keep¬ 
ing the animal in good health and heart. 
Turnips and mangolds he finds are excel¬ 
lent feed for milch cows and ewes with 
lamb. A half bushel of these roots once a 
day to a cow is a fair mess, but as they pro¬ 
duced an abundant flow of milk, he would 
feed a little grain or middlings, to keep the 
animal in strength and condition. In rais¬ 
ing carrots it was important to have a loose, 
mellow soil and free of weeds. It is a great 
mistake to plant carrots on weedy laud. 1L 
is the weeds that make this crop an expen¬ 
sive one to grow, and he thought that it was 
on account of an improper selection of land 
that so many failed to find carrot raising re¬ 
munerative. His plan was to break up green 
sward and plant to potatoes, using no ma¬ 
nures the first, year. The next season manure 
heavily and set to cabbage. If the cabbage 
is cultivated thoroughly, the land will be 
left free of weeds and will be rich enough 
for carrots the next year ay, it bout further 
manuring. To save expense in the culture 
of the crop, it was important to do away 
with hand labor as far as possible, lie would, 
therefore, sow the seed in drills, two fuel 
apart, so as to use the horse hoe. The 
plants should be thinned out in the rows to 
live inches apart. In this Avay carrots could 
be grown at a profit. He cultivated the 
German sweet turnip, and preferred that 
variety, because it was the best with which 
CHESTER WHITES vs. CHESHIRES 
I am glad to see quite an active discussion 
in the Rural about the comparative merits 
and claims of Chester White and Cheshire 
swine, I am breeding both sorts, and have 
a decided preference for the Cheshire. If 
our Jefferson Co., N. Y., friends would not 
take it. amiss, 1 Avottld like to suggest to 
them to call their excellent hogs after their 
county, and not after the county of Cheshire, 
England, when there is no connection be¬ 
tween the swine and Cheshire. Of course 
they can name their pigs whatever they like, 
but th(‘ name Cheshire seems to Indicate an 
origin in Cheshire, which is not the case. 
The breed, or family of bogs bearing this 
title, were made up by crossing the best 
sows in the town of Adams, Jefferson Co., 
with the Yorkshire hoars, imported by 
Messrs. Hungerford & Brodmc, enterpris¬ 
ing stock breeders in that toAvn. Mr. A. C. 
Clark of Henderson, in the same county, 
imported one or more boars from Canada, 
with which to improve his family of hogs, 
calling them “ Improved Cheshirea.” 
Too much in-and-in breeding among these 
bogs has in some instances injured the con¬ 
stitution of the animal, and results in pro¬ 
ducing week and feeble pigs, Avitb poor cir¬ 
culation of blood, which causes the tails to 
dry up and drop off. This propensity some 
of these wise breeders tell us is a sure proof 
of pure blood, and peculiar to their bogs. 
That these “ Chcsliircs ” are a mixed breed 
is proven by the pigs in any litter, some of 
them being quite well haired, others nearly 
naked. This comes from the mixture of the 
Yorkshire and native blood. In every litter 
of pigs some will he found with black skin 
spots, showing a Berkshire cross some day 
or other. The lack of hair is descended 
from the Chinese cross, which hogs have no 
hair, and have improved all our breeds in 
shortening the neck, thickening the flesh, 
and rounding the shoulders and hams. 
The Jefferson county hogs are a superior 
family of SAvine. I have bred them right 
alongside of the Chester Whites, and they 
have-proved easier keepers, and are finer in 
hone, skin, hair, hams, and in appearance 
generally. They are more thoroughbred, 
and are a vast improvement in looks and 
character. 
The Chester Whites had a similar origin. 
They are the results of a cross between an 
English boar with the native sows of Ches¬ 
ter county, Pa. Tayo families were started, 
one with lop the other with upright ears. I 
have seen both. The lop-eared are the most 
generally known. There is no record of 
other hogs having been re-crossed with any 
pure breed after the first cross with the im¬ 
ported boars; hence, it would follow that 
they would be just wliat they are, a breed 
without any blood. They have lost every 
claim and characteristic of thoroughbred. 
In a Chester White there is not the remotest 
resemblance to the original type and pro¬ 
genitor. It has all been bred out, long ago. 
Instead of the smooth, fine-haired, finely-cut 
and rounded English pig, Ave have a long, 
lank, coarse-boned hog, with coarse hair and 
skin, capable of a large growth, and Avith 
corn enough, a heavy weight. Newspapers 
are full of the avoirdupois of Chester Whites; 
hut they do not inform us of the amount of 
corn consumed. 
Among the large breeds at the Ncav York 
State Fairs, the Jefferson county hogs take 
the lead. If the breeders there would be 
content to call them after their noble county 
and endeavor to breed them Avith more 
similarity in appearance and drop their 
pretensions of Cheshire blood and greater 
purity one over the other, it doubtless would 
not be long before a discriminating public, 
and the Ncav York State Agricultural So¬ 
ciety, Avould be disposed to recognize their 
swine as a breed, and place them upon a 
permanent basis of respectability in name as 
Avell as character. I think the pigs are enti¬ 
tled to this honorable advancement.— f. d. c. 
j\. GROUP OF U-TIRTG BRED GAME FOWLS. 
BRED BAT S. J. BE8TOU A.NIJ S. C. COLT, HARTFORD, CONN. 
1. Burt Bile Hen. 3. Dominique Cooli. 3. XVliitcs Greorginn Hen 
Calves fed in tliis way ought not to be liackle or shawl is made up of long ft 
weaned until they can get a good bite of like feathers, quite uniformly dotted oi 
after-feed from the early-cut mcadoAvs. It ciled—so too of the tail hackles. The 
is important, to keep them in a groAving, are quite uniform in feathering, aftbougl 
thrifty condition, with no check. When have more subdued colors. They are 
weaned earlier, their growth is often checked hardy fowls and most, prolific layers, 
by reason of short., dry. or innutritions feed is yellow, and as in most all of the gam 
in pastures. Wlten Avhey can not be had, rieties, of fine grain and excellent II 
the following substitute for milk in feeding This variety oHoavI is said to be quite s 
calves is recommended by the Irish Farm- in this country, 
cr’s Gazette. Take three quarts of linseed Gonnrfim Gnnio> 
meal and four quarts of bean meal, and mix T]lis m . n ]<limvn varie(y * of fmv]s 
with thirty quarts of boiling water, when it been bred by S. J. Bkston, President r 
is left to digest tor twenty-foui horns, ami is Connecticut. State Poultry Society, to 
then poured into a boiler on the fire, having pasl eight years, and wen- first broup 
thirty-one quarts of boiling water. It is here l])C ftttenlion of American fanciers by 
boiled for half an hour, being stirred with a Mr fiKSTON j nforim us that the first h< 
perforated paddle to prevent lumps and pro- p OSS( , fiSPC i came originally from Europe 
duce perfect incorporation. It is then set were brought over by n gentleman avIh 
aside to cool, and is given blood warm. a na t| ve 0 f Georgia, and celebrated i 
When first used, it is mixed with milk in time for the reputation his game fowls 
small quantity. The milk is gradually de- f or him in sporting circles South, 
creased until they get the mucilage only, breed is now generally recognized by 
Indian meal may be given in place, of bean 0 f the poultry clubs, and ranks highly 
meal, and perhaps pea meal Avould serve many leading fanciers. They are claim 
the same purpose as bean meal, the latter have superior laying and table qua 
not being common in this country. We hardiness, courage, (and what no om 
have used buckwheat meal cooked into a question who has ever seen them,) beat 
porridge and added to whey for calves with p]„ ma ge, shape and carriage. The; 
good results, and we have no doubt that well calculated to stand the rigors o 
buckwheat meal could be substituted for Northern climate, and must be admi 
bean meal in the mixture and make a good adapted to our warm and genial Sou 
feed- clime.— l. 
COLORED DORKINGS 
Being a reader of Moore's Rural, I no¬ 
ticed, in the number of Feb. 19tli, an article 
on “ Colored Dorkings ” of the “ Silver 
Gray” variety, intimating this to be a rather 
new kind of fowl. After looking over the 
descriptive statements, I have been disposed 
to inquire wherein do these birds differ from 
what we call the Gray or Speckled Dorkings? 
I have carefully bred the pure light gray, 
white-legged, long fifth loe species for the 
last twelve years, the parent stock of which 
were imported from Prince Albert’s poul¬ 
try yard at Windsor Castle, and bred them 
in-and-in without injury to the flock. I 
have never regarded them as a cross of the 
White Dorking and Brahma ; but, if a cross 
at all, rather of the Dorking and Black 
Spanish, as the mixture of black and white 
feathers would indicate, having largely the 
black for Ihe foundation covering of the 
male. The heavy wattles, and the large, 
upright, deeply serrated comb of the cocks, 
and the excess of comb, falling over upon 
the cheek of the hen, would rather strengthen 
this supposition. 
My fowls have none of the clumsy look 
and motion of the “ Brahma,” though about 
the same size; and none, of the loose, slim, 
light form of the “Spanish;” and I have 
been inclined to regard them as a pure blood 
on account of their retaining, from year to 
year, a common form, style, and color. If 
they are a cross of the above mentioned 
foAvls, should we not reasonably expect to 
see some developemenl of the mixture, on 
one side or the other, as in all ot her crosses ? 
Some chicks black and some white, or some 
having clear marks of Brahma blood, as 
feathered leg, pea comb, small wing, and 
short tail ? My foAvls closely resemble their 
ancestry in form and color, of twelve years 
ago, being closely put up, short-legged, heavy 
GAME FOWLS, 
SUBSTITUTES FOR MILK 
In Raising Calves. 
The Buff Pile, Dominique and Gcor&iau 
White. 
The number of varieties of so-called 
game fowls is almost innumerable. Many 
are unworthy of the name of the prefix, 
still the breed of the group represented in 
our engraving have proved themselves Avor- 
thy of that, appellation in every sense of the 
Avoi d, and are termed by breeders among the 
best of the game variety of birds. 
A well-bred game cock should lie a neat, 
trim foAvl, feathers close and glossy, head 
small, neck well set on his shoulders, toes 
lengthy, body erect and straight, strong on 
thigh, quick in motion, and willing to die 
for his flock rather than yield to an oppo¬ 
nent Game hens possess the same general 
qualifications. They should be excellent 
layers and sitters, and for rearing chicks 
they are considered superior; they are 
liardy, strong, and transmit these peculiar 
traits, as a general thing, to their offspring. 
The flesh of the game foAvl is fine and 
sweet, and is esteemed of a decidedly rich 
flavor. In this breed almost all shades of 
feathers are allowable, black reds perhaps 
being the most common, although jet blacks, 
pure whites, grays, ginger reds, spangles, or 
pied, and various blendings of colors called 
piles, have their respective admirers, as the 
fancy of the breeder dictates. The breeds 
also are numerous; those of English, L'ish, 
Mexican, Spanish, Cuban, Malay and other 
nationalities claiming equal attention Avith 
fanciers in their respective localities. 
Salmon Pile Game. 
Coloring of hens is a buff or straw color, 
underlined with white, and lias a rich 
creamy or salmon-colored look; although 
A correspondent asks Iioav calves can 
he raised upon whey, and what substitutes 
for milk for feeding calves have been recom¬ 
mended. In raising calves they should al- 
Avays ba\ r e a good start, and for tliis purpose 
Ave know of nothing equal to milk as it is 
drawu from the cow. Some people recom¬ 
mend separating the calf from the coav a daj r 
or two after it is dropped. We think it 
should be allowed to run with the coav and 
have all the milk it. can take for at. least four 
or five days. Ordinarily, tho cow’s milk 
will not he in proper condition for human 
food under four or five days from the time 
of dropping her calf, though many dairy¬ 
men Avho are anxious to make the most out 
the milk, insist that it is good enough for 
cheese making at the fourth milking. After 
the calf is taken from the cow it should be 
generously fed Avith new milk until it is Iavo 
Aveeks old at least. This should be the ear¬ 
liest period at which the commencement of 
any substitute for new milk ought to be 
given. We should prefer to feed neAV milk 
for some time longer, but still very good 
calves may be raised by compounding a food 
for them a little less expensive than ucav 
milk. 
If skim milk can now be afforded, the 
calves Avill thrive on liberal feeding, but the 
cheese dairyman often feels that even 
skimmed milk is too expensive to he long 
continued, and is not satisfied until the diet 
of the calf is reduced to whey. Now, if 
whey and oil meal be properly prepared, it 
can be made to serve as a very good substi¬ 
tute for milk. The whey should be dipped 
ca 
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